Conventional supermarket type check-out systems comprise an elongated counter arranged so that the customer places the merchandise upon a forward end and the merchandise is moved to and is checked by a so-called checker or cashier. Thereafter the merchandise is either bagged by the cashier or is moved to a bagging station for packaging by a bagger. One typical check-out system consists of a single belt type conveyor which extends the full length of the counter, i.e., from the forward customer loading end to the rear bagging end. Alternatively, counters are made with a single belt which extends from the foward end to the cashier station, with the rear bagging portion being formed either with a flat deck or a second conveyor belt.
In these types of constructions, the cashier or checker normally stands at roughly the mid-point of the counter on one side thereof and the cash register is located at the same side of the counter.
In order to speed the process of checking out the merchandise on the cash register, various scanner systems are becoming available which can automatically read pricing data imprinted upon each item of merchandise. These systems require mountings upon the check-out counter and connections with appropriate cash registers etc.
Thus, in the past it has been necessary to construct a check-out system essentially for a single purpose, i.e., a single belt type of check-out counter or a double belt type or alternatively a counter built to receive and mount one or another type of scanner system available for automatic checking.
Since the check-out systems in a market are built to last for a relatively long time, an investment by a market in a number of such single purpose systems makes it difficult for the market to change to another system as the market requirements change and as newer types of scanner or cash register equipment become available. Thus, it would be desirable to have adaptable check-out systems which can be easily converted or adapted to different needs during normal operation in the market as well as to accomodate various types of cash registers, scanners, etc. as newer equipment become available.
Hence, the invention herein relates to a check-out counter system which is adaptable in construction so that it can be selectively operated in different ways such as with one person acting as both cashier and bagger or two persons, i.e. a separate cashier and bagger, and utilizing either a one belt or two belt operation.